Piemonte endures historic heat wave with near‑40°C temperatures and power‑grid stress

On 8 July 2026 northern Italy experienced a meteorologically historic heat wave. Temperatures across Piemonte rose to almost 40 °C in the plains, with Domodossola reaching 39 °C and Torino recording 38 °C. Alpine stations set new records, notably 33 °C at Ala di Stura (1,000 m) and 33.1 °C at 1,100 m, surpassing the previous absolute record of 2003. The outbreak, driven by a strong foehn flow under a persistent anticyclone, prompted a red‑alert heat warning from ARPA Piemonte, with “tropical night” lows of 24 °C and forecasts of similarly high temperatures for the following days.

The extreme heat strained the regional power grid. In Torino, neighborhoods such as San Donato, Crocetta and Santa Rita suffered blackouts. The local association EPAT called for an urgent coordination table with utilities Iren and Ireti to map outages, expedite compensation and prevent further disruptions, warning that demand will keep rising throughout the summer.

Overall, the event broke several July‑month and all‑time temperature records for both lowland and mountain stations in the region, marking a notable episode of climate‑related stress on public health and infrastructure.